congestion
/kənˈdʒestʃən/ (bre, ipa) · /kənˈdʒestʃən/ (ame, ipa)
congestion — 名詞
1. the situation where a place has so many people, vehicles, or objects packed into
擁擠；壅塞
人潮或物品太多造成的擁擠狀態
the situation where a place has so many people, vehicles, or objects packed into it that moving around or using the space becomes hard.
Parents waiting at the school gates create heavy congestion every afternoon at pickup time.
在校門口等待的家長，每天放學接送時段都造成嚴重壅塞。
congestion + at [place]
Mayor Imran promised to ease congestion in the old market district by widening the lanes.
市長 Imran 承諾透過拓寬巷道，舒緩老市場區的擁擠。
ease + congestion
Visitor congestion around the museum entrance forced staff to set up a one-way queue.
博物館入口周圍的遊客壅塞，迫使工作人員設置單向排隊動線。
There was so much congestion in the corridor that students had to push through sideways.
走廊上實在太擁擠，學生只能側身擠過去。
- overcrowding
near-synonym; emphasises too many people specifically
- crowding
more neutral; does not always imply difficulty
- spaciousness
the opposite quality of having room to move
文法句型
congestion in [place]
congestion at [place]
用法筆記
Always uncountable; never 'a congestion' or 'congestions'. Refers to the crowded state itself, not the people or objects causing it.
常見錯誤
2. the state of roads being so full of cars, buses, and lorries that they barely mo
塞車；壅塞
道路車輛過多導致行進困難
the state of roads being so full of cars, buses, and lorries that they barely move, slowing every journey.
Heavy congestion on the M25 added ninety minutes to Yael's drive home from the airport.
M25 高速公路上嚴重的塞車，讓 Yael 從機場開車回家多花了九十分鐘。
heavy + congestion + on [road]
London introduced a charge to reduce congestion in the city centre during weekday mornings.
倫敦推行收費制度，以減少平日早晨市中心的交通壅塞。
reduce + congestion
The new bus lane has cut traffic congestion along Roosevelt Avenue by nearly a third.
新的公車專用道讓 Roosevelt Avenue 沿線的塞車狀況減少了將近三分之一。
Hiroshi checked the radio for reports of congestion on Highway 5 before leaving for the airport.
Hiroshi 出發去機場前，先聽收音機留意 5 號公路的塞車路況。
Camila avoids the bridge at rush hour because the congestion can stretch back two miles.
Camila 尖峰時段會避開那座橋，因為塞車可以一路回堵兩英里。
- gridlock
stronger; suggests vehicles are completely stuck
- traffic jam
countable; refers to one specific blockage rather than the general state
- tailback
British; the queue of stopped vehicles itself
- free-flowing traffic
the opposite condition where vehicles move at normal speed
文法句型
traffic congestion
congestion on [road]
用法筆記
Most common sense in news and urban planning contexts. Often modified by 'traffic', 'rush-hour', or 'heavy'. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 is specifically about vehicles on roads, not people in places.
常見錯誤
3. a stuffed feeling in the nose, caused by the lining swelling up so air cannot pa
鼻塞
鼻腔黏膜腫脹導致呼吸不順
a stuffed feeling in the nose, caused by the lining swelling up so air cannot pass through easily — typical of colds, flu, or allergies.
Owen woke with such bad nasal congestion that he could only breathe through his mouth.
Owen 醒來時鼻塞嚴重到只能用嘴巴呼吸。
nasal + congestion
The pharmacist gave Niamh menthol drops and a steam inhaler to relieve her congestion before bedtime.
藥師給 Niamh 薄荷滴劑和蒸氣吸入器，讓她睡前能緩解鼻塞。
relieve + congestion
Every April, Mateusz suffers weeks of congestion and watery eyes from the birch pollen.
每年四月，Mateusz 都會因樺樹花粉連續好幾週鼻塞又眼睛流淚。
Sana's congestion cleared after two days on the antihistamine her doctor prescribed.
Sana 服用醫生開的抗組織胺兩天後，鼻塞就消除了。
- stuffiness
more informal; common in everyday speech rather than medical labels
- blockage
general; can apply to any passage, not specifically the nose
文法句型
nasal congestion
congestion in [body part]
用法筆記
Frequently appears as the fixed phrase 'nasal congestion' on medicine packaging. The noun stays uncountable even when the cause is plural ('the congestion from his allergies', not 'the congestions').
常見錯誤
4. a medical condition where extra blood or fluid builds up inside an organ such as
充血；積液
器官內血液或液體異常堆積
a medical condition where extra blood or fluid builds up inside an organ such as the lungs or liver, making it heavy and unable to work normally.
Pulmonary congestion was visible on the chest scan, suggesting the patient's heart was struggling.
胸部掃描可見肺充血，顯示病人的心臟正在吃力運作。
pulmonary + congestion
Dr. Léa explained that liver congestion develops when blood backs up from a weakened heart.
Léa 醫師解釋，當血液因心臟衰弱而回流時，就會出現肝臟充血。
[organ] + congestion + can develop
Severe pulmonary congestion is often brought on by untreated heart valve disease in older patients.
嚴重的肺充血常因年長病人未治療的心臟瓣膜疾病所引起。
Dr. Okonkwo prescribed diuretic tablets to reduce the congestion in Mr. Hartley's failing heart.
Okonkwo 醫師開立利尿劑，以減輕 Hartley 先生衰竭心臟的充血。
文法句型
congestion of [organ]
[organ] congestion
用法筆記
Used in clinical and veterinary writing; everyday speakers normally say 'fluid on the lungs'. Distinguish from sense 3: sense 3 is about the nose during a cold, while sense 4 refers to fluid pooling deep inside an internal organ.